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Etalus
Etalus is a heavy character who can control the stage with ice. He is easily comboed due to his weight and size, but his strong attacks kill at low percents. Attributes Etalus mainly uses his large hitboxes and speed to overwhelm opponents. He focuses on laying down ice to boost his wavedash and dash attack speed. His aerials are powerful killing options and his ice armor gives him both a strong offense and a strong defense. Etalus usually relies on dash attack mindgames to approach opponents. After laying down ice, dash attack has increased speed and can be jump / wavedash canceled. This allows Etalus to rapidly slide back and forth and forces opponents to guess when he will finally approach. Even though it is tempting to use Forward Special to coat the ground with ice, it is very punishable if the opponent parries. Players should use Forward Tilt and Up Special to lay down ice. Etalus' Forward Aerial can block most attack from the front, so it is his best aerial approach option. After getting close to opponents, Etalus has many strong moves to combo the opponent. His dash attack can be jump canceled into any aerial. Neutral Aerial, Back Aerial, and Forward Aerial are all good moves to use after dash attack. Etalus' Tilts are all good for extending combos. Up Tilt launches opponents into the air to set up for aerials. Down Tilt can be used as a mixup. Forward Tilt covers a large distance and lays down ice. Etalus' Jab can be useful at the ledge, but should not be used in the center of the stage as opponents can tech after the second hit. Many of Etalus' moves are amazing for killing opponents. Up Aerial throws opponents downward at an angle and is almost a guaranteed kill when used offstage. Forward Aerial and Back Aerial hit opponents off the sides. Down Aerial is a powerful move that spikes opponents and has multiple hitboxes. Etalus' Strong Attacks all have good knockback and large hitboxes. Ice Armor is a very important tool for Etalus. To get ice armor, Etalus has to stand on ice and use Neutral Special. Neutral Special has a long startup, so it can only be safely used when the opponent is recovering or has just been killed. After acquiring armor, Etalus is heavier and falls faster. The armor breaks off after Etalus takes 40% damage. Having ice armor gives Etalus super armor during his Up Special and Strong Attacks. This lets Etalus use Up Special to escape combos and use Strong Attacks to counter other attacks. Taking either action will break the ice armor. Etalus still has a few flaws. First of all, Etalus is a large and heavy character meaning he can be comboed very easily. Players need to DI perfectly and tech roll to escape combos when playing as Etalus. Etalus can also be outsped by characters such as Ori and Maypul who boast incredibly fast moves. Recovering can be a challenge for Etalus as he has to charge his Up Special and he has a slow aerial drift speed. Strengths * He is one of the heaviest characters, making him hard to kill. * His ice armor reduces knockback and powers up his strong attacks. * Up Special can spike opponents trying to edgeguard Etalus if used correctly. ** Armored Up Special makes Etalus resist all knockback while charging * Down special freezes all opponents standing on ice, which lets Etalus deal extra damage and possibly use a Strong Attack * His ice makes his wavedash much faster and lets him move unpredictably. * Dash Attack is a great combo starter and can be jump canceled * Neutral Air has a huge hitbox that lasts for a long time * Forward Air lets Etalus armor through projectiles and attacks from the front Weaknesses * Large in size, making it easy to combo him. ** In addition, his ice armor makes him take less knockback, which can make it even easier to combo him. * The ice on the stage disappears after he is killed. * Neutral special is easy to punish due to it's start up lag. * Opponents can edgeguard him while he is charging his Up Special, or they can just hit him at the peak of the jump. * Dash Attack can be punished easily if it is used too often * Etalus cannot walljump or fastfall after being wrapped while having super armor Techniques * Dash Attack Canceled Up Strong - Etalus can cancel his dash attack with an Up Strong. This is his fastest kill option. * If you jump right before using Down Special, Etalus will use the aerial version of the move which has less starting lag. * Air Dodge right after using Up Special to lay down ice around Etalus quickly. * Side Special can be used to turn Etalus around in the air if it is in cooldown. * The Up Special jump resists projectiles, so it can be used creatively on stage * You can start Neutral Special in the air and still get armor if Etalus lands before finishing the move * Press the dodge button and the jump button at the same time during Dash Attack to wavedash in no direction, canceling all momentum ** This can be used to punish opponents who are trying to time attacks to hit Etalus out of his dash attack. Gameplay In Game Info: "Etalus can create ice on the ground with his Forward Special, Forward Tilt, and Up Special. Etalus can use his Neutral Special while standing on ice to encase himself in ice armor. Etalus can use his Down-Special to shatter all on-stage ice freezing opponents standing on it." Elemental Powers: * HOME ICE ADVANTAGE: Etalus can use his Forward Special or Forward Tilt to freeze the ground beneath him in order to slide across on the icy surface. * ARMORED UP: When standing on ice, Etalus can use his Neutral Special to absorb the ice and create ice armor around his body. * AVALANCHE: Etalus can use his Down Special to shatter all nearby ice, instantly freezing any enemies who are standing on it. Moveset Stage Info Costumes Etalus 1.PNG Etalus 2.PNG Etalus 3.PNG Etalus 4.PNG Etalus 5.PNG Etalus 6.PNG Special Costumes Etalus Summer.PNG|Summer 2017 Costume Etalus Champion.PNG|RCS Champion Promo Costume Etalus Golden.PNG|Golden Etalus Plushie Promo Costume Etalus Abyss.PNG|Abyss Level 10 Costume Etalus Early Access.PNG|Early Access Promo Costume Background Story "Etalus is a legendary warrior in his native land, the northern continent known as the Ice Barrens. He is one of the last surviving members of the Harbor Guard, an elite battalion that once defended the Hyperboreans, the peoples of the Ice Barrens. The Harbor Guard battled other elemental factions on land and sea in order to protect their coast and keep trade routes open to the Water Merchants in the south. However, in the past two decades, few from the southern continent of Aether have had any contact with Harbor Guard or any other representative of the north. Most people assume that the Harbor Guard was defeated, and the Hyperboreans had to retreat further inland. In reality, Etalus and the Harbor Guard left their posts to battle a deadly threat from the northern reaches: the Black Ice. While the Harbor Guard were focused on their southern harbors, creatures of ice and shadow descended on the Hyperboreans in a sudden onslaught of slaughter and destruction. The Harbor Guard rushed, too late, to defend this new northern front. Many brave ice warriors fell. Etalus now hunts alone, stalking the northern reaches for Black Ice. The remaining Hyperboreans have pushed deeper into the tundras to the west, looking for a safe place to rebuild their homes." -Website Trivia * Etalus's Down special is officially named "Avalanche". * Etalus is the eighth character to be announced, along with Absa. He represents the element of ice and is a polar bear. * Etalus's up air was the first command grab in the entire Rivals of Aether roster. * When he lands if he has armor, the screen will shake briefly. * Etalus is the nickname of the Rivals of Aether community manager, George Rogers. Category:Characters